Travelling

Travelling to your new country

Travelling to a new place can be daunting, especially when you have lots of things to remember and all your luggage in tow. It’s worth sorting out travel arrangements well in advance and probably cheaper too.

If you are travelling to Europe it’s worth remembering that lots of budget European airlines (and some global airlines too) have quite low baggage weight restrictions. Weigh your cases before getting to the airport to save yourself a hefty fee. Better still, ship it over to your new address and travel hassle free. Uni Baggage is a great service offering relatively cheap shipping services.

To save on flight costs try SkyScanner which offers a global flight search comparison tool, helping you to find the cheapest airfares.

When travelling, remember to carry all the necessary documentation with you, including your passport or identity card (plus photocopies), a visa if necessary, the foreign currency you’ll need and details of your new address.

Travelling once you are there

Whether you are moving to Belgium or Brazil, you’ll be on the doorstep of a wonderful world of different places with new people to meet. And you can do it alongside your work or study experience. With flexible working hours (and academic holidays if you’re studying), you can make the most of your time away on this enriching life-changing experience.

Travelling is a great way of getting to know a country and boost your language skills. Many countries have regional dialects and some are home to several languages. And what better way to discover the region, from coastline to countryside?

If you have a few weeks, consider purchasing a railcard or bus pass. Many of these let you travel across countries or even continents at a largely discounted rate. There are different options available:

• Interrail sells a railcard allowing you to travel for free on trains, buses and ferries in over 30 European countries.
• Amtrak offers rail passes for travel across the USA. For road travel, Greyhound’s Discovery Pass allows unlimited USA bus journeys within your chosen days.
• Bamba offers a unique and off the beaten track experience through its ‘hop on, hop off’ bus service through Central and South America. Seat 61 has good information on South American rail travel.
• Japan Rail Pass is a Japanese rail pass service.
• Train Travel Australia offers several rail pass options for travel across Australia.

For shorter trips consider visiting a nearby city or country for a long weekend and try to immerse yourself in a different culture. If you are a student, make the most of the discounts available to you - such as cheap museum entry and lower travel fares.

The Erasmus Insiders’ Guides are a useful collection of insider tips and suggestions written by students for students and contain detailed information on European cities as well as personal travel experiences.